An I-League vs ISL battle is on the cards as Mohammedan SC and FC Goa cross swords in the Durand Cup 2021 final to take home the coveted military trophy. The final will be played in front of 40,000 fans at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Sunday.
Mohammedan SC advanced to their sixth Durand Cup final after overcoming I-League 2nd Division side Bengaluru United in the semi-final. The Black Panthers finished second in Group A behind the Bengaluru-based side but returned the favor by beating Richard Hood's side 4-2 in the semi-final after 120 minutes of football.
FC Goa made way it to their maiden Durand Cup final in their debut season by winning on penalties against a young Bengaluru FC side. Juan Ferrando's men were held 2-2 by Naushad Moosa's Young Blues in the second semi-final before the Gaurs won 7-6 in the dreaded penalty shoot-out.
This will be the first ever meeting between the two sides as an engrossing tactical battle is on the cards. While Mohammedan SC like to play a direct brand of football using the wings, FC Goa are more poised to go with the typical Spanish style of playing possession-based football.
Mohammedan SC vs FC Goa Durand Cup Predicted Line-ups
Mohammedan SC: Zothanmawia (GK), Lalramchullova, Arijeet Singh, Shaher Shaheen, Manoj Mohammad, Milan Singh, Faisal Ali, Nikola Stojanovic, Azharuddin Mallick, Sk Faiaz, Marcus Joseph
FC Goa: Naveen Kumar (GK), Leander D'Cunha, Lalmangaihsanga, Ivan Gonzalez, Sanson Pereira, Edu Bedia (C), Alberto Noguera, Muhammed Nemil, Alexander Romario, Devendra Murgaokar, Saviour Gama
Mohammedan SC vs FC Goa Durand Cup: Where to watch
Fans can catch up on the LIVE action on Sony TEN 2, TEN 2 HD, SONY LIV and AddaTimes. Readers who do not have access to paid subscriptions to Sony and AddaTimes can catch up on live action on Sportskeeda's live blog by clicking here. The game kicks-off at 6 PM IST on 3rd October 2021.
Mohammedan SC vs FC Goa Durand Cup Prediction
While Mohammedan SC have looked like a well oiled unit in the Durand Cup so far, the Black Panthers have not faced a challenge from any of the ISL teams so far. FC Goa have one of the finest foreign line-ups in India along with a young Indian roster.
We expect FC Goa to prevail in the final after a tough contest with Mohammedan SC.
Prediction: Mohammedan SC 1-2 FC Goa